Exactly Right
Yesterday we saw the defeat of Mr. Trump’s first legislative initiative, the American Healthcare Act, or AHA. Liberal politicians and their constituents throughout the land are crowing with pride. The headlines in our leftist press: A TRUMP DEFEAT, REPUBLICANS LOOSE BIG and TRUMP CAN’T GOVERN, etc., etc. But was it really as bad as these critics say? Let’s take a closer look.
Although it’s disappointing to see the first Trump legislative initiative fail, I believe the Trump/Ryan withdrawal of the AHA, under the present circumstances, was exactly the right thing to do. The “Freedom Caucus” members were, obviously, jockeying for an even more conservative alternative and, hence, their promised ”nay” votes. Because Trump and Ryan didn’t cave into their pressure, those members will now have to live with perpetuation of the ACA, a law that they despise with all their heart and soul. Those members will now have to look at themselves in the mirror every morning and acknowledge what they’ve done. They won’t be happy with what they see. They will also have to face their constituents and explain why they failed to deliver on one of their major their pre-election promises. And, they will have to watch as the ACA continues to wreak havoc on state and national budgets. They will have to listen to Americans stung by exorbitant premiums and deductibles. Hopefully, all of this will sink in, and Freedom Caucus members will realize that compromise is the essence of effective politics, a principal that will be crucial to other reforms going forward. Trump and Ryan have signaled unequivocally that they will NOT be bullied by the fringes of their party, and, considering the apparent intransigence of those fringes, I think that’s a crucial thing to make clear early on.
Furthermore, I think it’s quite true that the ACA is on an irrevocable course of self destruction. (seventeen states are down to just one provider, and further dramatic increases in costs are in store). In fact, I believe that the law was DESIGNED to self destruct, at which time the long sought after Democrat goal of socialized medicine would be ushered in.) It’s not a matter of “if” but “when”. As we get closer to catastrophic failure of ACA, it will be easier to push through the desperately needed reforms of the the AHA, or something very much like it. With the spectre of socialized medicine hanging like the sword of Damocles over conservative heads, reform will then be quickly forthcoming.
So the media headlines SHOULD have read as follows:
TRUMP & RYAN STAND FIRM AGAINST EXTREMIST BULLYING:
ACA TO REPEAL ITSELF